Beverage, method for producing beverage, and method for suppressing foaming of beverage

ABSTRACT

A beverage in which foaming is suppressed and a stevia extract is blended, and a method for producing the same. A beverage, wherein a total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose, a content of RebD and/or RebM is 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose, and ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.35 or more in a mass ratio.

This is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/541,164, which is the U.S. National Stage of PCT/JP2016/080413, filed Oct. 13, 2016, which claims priority to JP Application No. 2016-000578, filed Jan. 5, 2016. The disclosure of each of these applications is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a beverage, a method for producing a beverage, and a method for suppressing the foaming of a beverage.

BACKGROUND ART

In order to address diversifying consumer needs, various beverages are developed and commercially available. Saccharides such as sucrose are components extremely ordinarily blended in beverages for the purposes of giving sweetness, and the like, but the influence of excess intake on health has been pointed out, and there are needs for low calorie beverages. And needs for naturally derived materials are increasing. In order to meet these needs, naturally derived sweeteners having a high degree of sweetness compared with saccharides are attracting attention. Patent Literature 1 discloses a functional sweetener composition containing a vitamin, a high intensity sweetener, and a sweetness-improving composition.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

-   Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Domestic Announcement No.     2009-517043

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The inventor of this application has conducted a study on the use of natural sweeteners in beverages and has found that when a stevia extract is blended in a beverage, foaming intensifies. As natural sweeteners, Stevioside, Rebaudioside (hereinafter referred to as “Reb”), and the like as the sweet components of stevia extracts are known, and the details will be described later.

It is an object of the embodiment of the present invention to provide a beverage in which foaming is suppressed and a stevia extract is blended, and a method for producing the same.

Solution to Problem

The embodiment of the present invention provides a beverage, wherein a total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose, a content of RebD and/or RebM is 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose, and ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.35 or more in a mass ratio, though not limited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the surface tension of aqueous solutions of stevia extracts.

FIG. 2 shows the influence of the content of stevia extracts on the foaming of green tea beverages.

FIG. 3 shows changes in the surface tension of green tea beverages by the amounts of stevia extracts blended.

FIG. 4 shows changes in the surface tension of oolong tea beverages by the amounts of stevia extracts blended.

FIG. 5 shows changes in the surface tension of black tea beverages by the amounts of stevia extracts blended.

FIG. 6 shows changes in the surface tension of fruit juice beverages by the amounts of stevia extracts blended.

FIG. 7 shows changes in surface tension by the mass ratio of RebM and/or RebD to RebA.

FIG. 8 shows changes in the surface tension of green tea beverages when sucrose in an amount equivalent to Brix 10 is replaced by RebA, RebD, and RebM.

FIG. 9 shows changes in the surface tension of coffee beverages when sucrose in an amount equivalent to Brix 10 is replaced by RebA, RebD, and RebM.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

A beverage according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The beverage in the embodiment of the present invention is a beverage, wherein the total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose, the content of RebD and/or RebM is 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose, and ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.35 or more in a mass ratio.

Reb is known as a sweet component contained in a stevia extract. The stevia extract is obtained by extraction from stevia dry leaves and purification. A stevia is an Asteraceae perennial plant native to Paraguay in South America, and its scientific name is Stevia rebaudiana bertoni. The stevia comprises a component having about 300 times or more the sweetness of sugar and therefore is grown in order to extract this sweet component and use it as a natural sweetener. As Reb, RebA, RebB, RebC, RebD, and RebE are known. Further, recently, the presence of various glycosides such as RebM described in Japanese Patent Domestic Announcement No. 2012-504552 has been reported. Among various Reb, RebA is evaluated as a sweetener having a high degree of sweetness and good sweetness and widely used. In the embodiment of the present invention, as stevia extracts, RebA, RebD, and RebM attract attention. RebA, RebD, and RebM are available on the market and can also be synthesized by an organic chemical method. Alternatively, using a stevia extract as a starting raw material, RebA, RebD, and RebM can also be separated and purified. For example, RebA can be purified according to a method described in Japanese Patent Domestic Announcement No. 2009-517043, RebD can be purified according to a method described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,949, and RebM can be purified according to a method described in Foods 2014, 3(1), 162-175; doi: 10.3390/foods3010162. RebA, RebD, and RebM may be analyzed by any method and can be analyzed, for example, by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) set under conditions described in Japanese Patent Domestic Announcement No. 2012-504552. RebA, RebD, and RebM are analyzed herein by the method, unless otherwise described.

Examples of the beverage include refreshing beverages, nonalcoholic beverages, and alcoholic beverages. The beverage may be a beverage comprising no carbonic acid gas and may be a beverage comprising carbonic acid gas. Examples of the beverage comprising no carbonic acid gas include, but are not limited to, tea beverages such as green tea, oolong tea, black tea, and barley tea, coffee, fruit juice beverages, milk beverages, and sports drinks. Examples of the beverage comprising carbonic acid gas include, but are not limited to, cola, diet cola, ginger ale, soda pop, and carbonated water provided with a fruit juice flavor.

The embodiment of the present invention relates to suppressing foaming by decreasing the content of RebA as a stevia extract in a beverage. The content of RebA in the beverage can be Brix 15 or less, preferably 13.5 or less, more preferably 11.5 or less, and further preferably 7.5 or less in terms of sucrose but is not limited to these. Alternatively, RebA may be contained in the beverage to the extent that even slight sweetness is felt, and may be contained in the beverage, for example, at Brix 0.015 or more, preferably 0.03 or more, and more preferably 0.5 or more in terms of sucrose.

The foaming suppression effect of RebD and RebM can be confirmed as follows. Here, surface tension known to those skilled in the art for being related to foaming was measured. Aqueous solutions in which RebA, RebD, and RebM (commercial products were used) were respectively blended were prepared. The amounts of RebA, RebD, and RebM blended were adjusted at Brix 10 in terms of sucrose (that is, 333 ppm of RebA, 351 ppm of RebD, and 351 ppm of RebM). The surface tension of the aqueous solutions prepared in this manner was measured. Water as a control was similarly tested. The surface tension of each aqueous solution was measured by a plate method using an automatic surface tensiometer (model CBVP-Z, Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.). The aqueous solution containing RebD or RebM had high surface tension compared with the beverage containing RebA (FIG. 1). Each aqueous solution was foamed in a reduced pressure state and returned to the atmospheric conditions, and the time required for the bubbles to subside was measured. For the aqueous solution containing RebD or RebM, foaming subsided in roughly ½ the time for the beverage containing RebA. From these results, it was shown that for RebD and RebM, the surface tension of the beverage was increased compared with that for RebA.

When the content of RebA in a beverage is simply decreased as described above, sweetness derived from the stevia extract sometimes cannot be sufficiently given to the beverage. In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention, by replacing RebA as a stevia extract by RebD and/or RebM in a beverage, sweetness derived from the stevia extracts can be sufficiently given while the foaming of the beverage is suppressed. In the beverage in the embodiment of the present invention, the content of RebD and/or RebM can be an amount required as an alternative to RebA. The beverage can contain RebD and RebM singly or in combination. When the beverage contains RebD alone, the content of RebD is not limited and can be, for example, 15 or less in Brix in terms of sucrose and further may be 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose. When the beverage contains RebM alone, the content of RebM is not limited and can be, for example, 15 or less, preferably 11.5 or less, and more preferably 7.7 or less in Brix in terms of sucrose and further may be 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose. When the beverage contains RebD and RebM, the total amount of RebD and RebM can be, for example, 15 or less in Brix in terms of sucrose and further may be 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose.

The influence of the content of RebD and RebM in the beverage on foaming can be confirmed as follows. RebA, RebD, and RebM were each blended in a green tea extract in the range of Brix 1 to 15 in terms of sucrose to prepare beverages. Each beverage was placed in a graduated cylinder having a volume of 200 mL and shaken by a shaker (yamato A300) at a speed of 300 times/min. The scale mark at the bubble rising surface was read and taken as the volume corresponding to bubble liquid level. The results are shown as relative values in which the bubble liquid level of a beverage to which none of RebA, RebD, and RebM is added is 1 (FIG. 2). For the beverages containing RebD or RebM, foaming was suppressed compared with that for the beverages containing RebA, in the whole range of amounts blended studied (1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose). As another test, further, RebA, RebD, and RebM were each blended in a tea extract (green tea, oolong tea, or black tea) or an orange juice beverage in the range of Brix 1 to 15 in terms of sucrose to prepare beverages. The surface tension of the prepared beverages was measured. The measured values are shown as relative values in which the surface tension of a beverage to which none of RebA, RebD, and RebM is added is 1 at Brix values (FIG. 3: green tea beverages, FIG. 4: oolong tea beverages, FIG. 5: black tea beverages, FIG. 6: orange juice beverages). For all of the tea beverages (green tea, oolong tea, and black tea) and the orange juice beverages, the beverages containing RebD or RebM had high surface tension compared with the beverages containing RebA, in the whole range of amounts blended studied (1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose). From these results, it is suggested that in order to maintain sweetness while suppressing the foaming of the beverage, RebD and RebM can replace RebA in amounts blended equivalent to 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose.

The total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM in the beverage can be set in a required range and can be set in a range that is not a problem in terms of flavor. Alternatively, the total amount can also be set in a range required for a low calorie beverage. For example, although not limited, the total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM in the beverage can be equivalent to Brix 1 to 15, preferably 1 to 13.5, more preferably 1 to 12, further preferably 1 to 11.5, and still more preferably 1 to 7.5 in terms of sucrose. When the total amount is less than Brix 1 in terms of sucrose, not only can sweetness derived from the stevia extracts not be sufficiently provided, but the bubble suppression effect of the replacement of RebA by RebD and/or RebM may not be sufficiently exerted. On the other hand, when the total amount is more than Brix 15 in terms of sucrose, the flavor of the beverage may worsen, and RebD may precipitate at low temperatures.

Here, Brix in terms of sucrose can be calculated from the degree of sweetness of Reb based on sucrose and the content of Reb. RebA has 300 times the sweetness of sucrose, RebD has 285 times the sweetness of sucrose, and RebM has 285 times the sweetness of sucrose. Therefore, the amount of Reb equivalent to Brix 1 in terms of sucrose can be calculated as 33.3 ppm for RebA and 35.1 ppm for RebD (also RebM).

The beverage may contain RebD and/or RebM and RebA at a particular mass ratio. For example, the ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) mass ratio can be, for example, 0.35 or more, preferably 1.1 or more, more preferably 2.5 or more, and further preferably 6.0 or more. When this ratio is less than 0.35, the influence of RebA is strong, and the foaming of the beverage sometimes cannot be suppressed.

The influence of the mass ratio of RebM and/or RebD to RebA on foaming can be confirmed as follows. RebA, RebD, and RebM were blended in green tea extracts to prepare beverages with Brix 10 in terms of sucrose. At this time, the blending proportion (%) of RebA and RebD was the following:

100:0 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose;

75:25 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose;

50:50 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose;

25:75 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose;

0:100 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose;

The blending proportion of RebA and RebM was also similar to the above. The surface tension of the green tea beverages was measured according to the method shown in the above. A green tea extract to which no RebA, RebD, or RebM was added, as a control (Ctrl), was similarly measured. The results are shown in FIG. 7. In the figure, the values represent relative values in which the surface tension of the control is 1, (A) shows the results for the beverages in which RebA and RebD are blended, and (B) shows the results for the beverages in which RebA and RebM are blended. A100 represents RebA:RebD (RebM)=100:0 (Brix ratio in terms of sucrose, the same applies hereinafter); A75 represents RebA:RebD (RebM)=75:25; A50 represents RebA:RebD (RebM)=50:50; A25 represents RebA:RebD (RebM)=25:75; and AO represents RebA:RebD (RebM)=0:100. “*” represents a significant difference from A100. As the ratio of RebD to RebA increased, the surface tension of the green tea beverage tended to increase (FIG. 7 (A)). When RebA was all replaced by RebD, the surface tension of the green tea beverage was comparable to the surface tension of the control. Also when RebA was replaced by RebM, similar results were obtained. From these results, it was shown that by replacing RebA by RebD and/or RebM, the foaming of the beverage was suppressed without decreasing the degree of sweetness derived from the stevia extracts. It is suggested that the effect is achieved when ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.33 or more in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose, that is, 0.35 or more in a mass ratio.

The beverage in the embodiment of the present invention can further contain sucrose. The content of sucrose can be appropriately set based on the properties, product concept, and the like of the target beverage and can be, for example, 6 to 12 g per 100 g of the beverage (equivalent to Brix 6 to 12) but is not limited to this. Further, the content of sucrose in the beverage can be set from the relationship between RebA, RebD, and RebM based on the degree of sweetness. For example, RebD and/or RebM to sucrose ((RebD and/or RebM)/sucrose) can be 0.43 or more, preferably 1 or more, and more preferably 2.3 or more in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose.

The quantification of saccharides such as sucrose can be performed by a method well-known to those skilled in the art. For example, the quantification can be performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) set under the following conditions:

Equipment used: HP1100 system manufactured by HP Column used: LiChrospher 100 NH₂ (5 μm) (4 mm×250 mm) Mobile phase: acetonitrile:water=75:25 Flow rate: 1.0 mL/min Column temperature: 40° C. Injection volume: 10 μL Detector: Sugar content differential refractometer (Shodex RI-71). The quantification of saccharides such as sucrose is performed herein by the method, unless otherwise described.

The influence of the replacement of sucrose by stevia extracts (RebA, RebM, and RebD) on foaming can be confirmed as follows. RebA, RebD, and RebM were each blended in a green tea extract in combination with sucrose to prepare beverages with Brix 10 in terms of sucrose. At this time, the blending proportion (%) of sucrose and RebD was the following: 100:0 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose (saccharide replacement rate 0%);

70:30 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose (saccharide replacement rate 30%);

50:50 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose (saccharide replacement rate 50%);

30:70 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose (saccharide replacement rate 70%);

0:100 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose (saccharide replacement rate 100%);

The blending proportion of sucrose and RebA and the blending proportion of sucrose and RebM were also similar to the above. The surface tension of the beverages was measured as shown above. The results are shown in FIG. 8. It was shown that when sucrose was replaced by RebA, the surface tension of the beverage tended to decrease greatly. On the other hand, when sucrose was replaced by RebD, a decrease in the surface tension of the beverage was significantly suppressed compared with that for RebA. The results when sucrose was replaced by RebM were similar to those for RebD. From these results, it was suggested that by setting the ((RebD and/or RebM)/sucrose) Brix ratio in terms of sucrose at 0.43 or more, the surface tension was maintained without changing the degree of sweetness of the beverage. This suggests that by replacing sucrose by RebD and/or RebM, it is possible to provide a low calorie beverage in which foaming is suppressed and sweetness is maintained or enhanced.

Further, the influence of the replacement of sucrose by stevia extracts (RebA, RebM, and RebD) on foaming can also be confirmed as follows. RebA, RebD, and RebM were each blended in sugar-free coffee in combination with sucrose to prepare beverages with Brix 10 in terms of sucrose. At this time, the blending proportion (%) of sucrose and RebD was 30:70 in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose. The blending proportion of sucrose and RebA and the blending proportion of sucrose and RebM were also similar to the above. In addition, a beverage in which only sucrose was blended was used as a control. The surface tension of the beverages was measured according to the method shown in the above. The results are shown in FIG. 9. In the figure, the values represent relative values in which the surface tension of the control (“sucrose”) is 1. Even if sucrose was replaced by RebD for 70% of Brix 10 in terms of sucrose, there was no substantial change in the surface tension of the beverage. Also when sucrose was replaced by RebM, a similar result was obtained. On the other hand, when sucrose was replaced by RebA, the surface tension of the beverage decreased. From these results, it was suggested that sucrose could be replaced by RebD and/or RebM with the degree of sweetness of the beverage maintained and without foaming being influenced.

The beverage in the embodiment of the present invention may have a surface tension in a particular range. The surface tension of the beverage is, for example, 20 to 90 mN/m, preferably 30 to 80 mN/m, but is not limited to these.

The beverage in the embodiment of the present invention may further comprise components that can be used in foods and drinks, such as polyphenols such as catechins, extracts of plants, caffeine, cinnamaldehyde, caramel coloring, and sweeteners (saccharides such as sugar and isomerized liquid sugars, and high intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K), flavoring avents, acidulants (citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and lactic acid), colorants, fruit juices, fruit juice purees, milk, milk products, other flavors, and nutrient supplements (vitamins, calcium, minerals, and amino acids). These components may be blended singly in the beverage, or a plurality of these components may be blended in combination in the beverage.

The beverage in the embodiment of the present invention can be filled into a container. For the container, a container of any form and material can be used, and, for example, the container may be a container such as a bottle, a can, a barrel, or a PET bottle. In addition, the method for filling the beverage into a container is also not particularly limited.

<Method for Producing Beverage>

According to another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, a method for producing a beverage is provided.

The method for producing a beverage comprises the step of dissolving raw materials such as RebA, RebD, and RebM in water. The RebA content can be set so that the content of RebA in the beverage is Brix 15 or less, preferably 13.5 or less, more preferably 11.5 or less, and further preferably 7.5 or less in terms of sucrose, and substantially no RebA may be contained in the beverage, but these are not limiting. RebA may be contained in the beverage to the extent that even slight sweetness is felt. For example, the content of RebA may be set so that the content of RebA in the beverage is Brix 0.015 or more, preferably 0.03 or more, and more preferably 0.5 or more in terms of sucrose.

The content of RebD and/or RebM can be an amount required as an alternative to RebA. RebD and RebM can each be used alone or can be used in combination. When RebD is used alone, the content of RebD is not limited and can be set so that, for example, the content of RebD in the beverage is Brix 15 or less in terms of sucrose, and further may be Brix 1 or more in terms of sucrose. When RebM is contained alone in the beverage, the content of RebM is not limited and can be set so that, for example, the content of RebM in the beverage is Brix 15 or less, preferably 11.5 or less, and more preferably 7.7 or less in terms of sucrose, and further may be Brix 1 or more in terms of sucrose. When RebD and RebM are used in combination, the content of RebD and RebM can be set so that, for example, the content of RebD and RebM in the beverage is Brix 15 or less in terms of sucrose, and further may be Brix 1 or more in terms of sucrose.

By replacing RebA as a stevia extract by RebD and/or RebM, sweetness derived from the stevia extracts can be sufficiently given to a beverage while the problem of the foaming of the beverage is addressed. When RebD and RebM are used in combination, RebD and RebM may be combined at a particular ratio.

RebD and/or RebM and RebA may be used at a particular mass ratio. For example, the content of RebD and/or RebM and RebA can be set so that the ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) mass ratio in the beverage is, for example, 0.35 or more, preferably 1.1 or more, more preferably 2.5 or more, and further preferably 6.0 or more. When the ratio is less than 0.35, the influence of RebA is strong, and the foaming of the beverage sometimes cannot be suppressed.

The total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM can be set in a range required for a beverage and can be set in a range required, for example, for a low calorie beverage. For example, although not limited, the content of RebD and/or RebM and RebA can be set so that the total amount of RebA, RebD, and RebM in the beverage is Brix 1 to 15, preferably 1 to 13.5, more preferably 1 to 12, further preferably 1 to 11.5, and still more preferably 1 to 7.5 in terms of sucrose. When the total amount is less than Brix 1 in terms of saccharide, not only can sweetness derived from the stevia extracts not be sufficiently provided, but the effect of suppressing the bubbles of the beverage may not be sufficiently exerted. On the other hand, when the total amount is more than Brix 15 in terms of sucrose, the flavor of the beverage may worsen, and RebD may precipitate at low temperatures.

Sucrose can be further blended in the beverage. The amount of sucrose blended can be appropriately set based on the properties, product concept, and the like of the target beverage. For example, sucrose can be blended in an amount such as 6 to 12 g per 100 g of the beverage (equivalent to Brix 6 to 12), but the amount of sucrose blended is not limited to this. Further, the amount of sucrose blended can be set from the relationship between RebA, RebD, and RebM based on the degree of sweetness. Sucrose can be blended so that RebD and/or RebM to sucrose ((RebD and/or RebM)/sucrose) is, for example, 0.43 or more, preferably 1 or more, and more preferably 2.3 or more in a Brix ratio in terms of sucrose.

Components that can be used in foods and drinks, such as polyphenols such as catechins, extracts of plants, caffeine, cinnamaldehyde, caramel coloring, sweeteners (saccharides such as sugar, glucose, fructose, and isomerized liquid sugars, and high intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame K), flavoring agents, acidulants (citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, and lactic acid), colorants, fruit juices, fruit juice purees, milk, and milk products, other flavors, and nutrient supplements (vitamins, calcium, minerals, and amino acids) may be further blended in the beverage. These components may be blended singly, or a plurality of these components may be blended in combination.

The beverage produced by the method in the embodiment of the present invention may have a surface tension in a particular range. The surface tension of the beverage is, for example, 20 to 90 mN/m, preferably 30 to 80 mN/m, but is not limited to these. 

1. A beverage, wherein: a total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose, a content of RebD and/or RebM is 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose, and ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.35 or more in a mass ratio.
 2. A method for producing a beverage, comprising adding RebA and RebD and/or RebM so that in a beverage: a total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose, a content of RebD and/or RebM is 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose, and ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.35 or more in a mass ratio.
 3. A method for suppressing foaming of a beverage, comprising adding RebA and RebD and/or RebM so that in a beverage: a total content of RebA and RebD and/or RebM is 1 to 15 in Brix in terms of sucrose, a content of RebD and/or RebM is 1 or more in Brix in terms of sucrose, and ((RebD and/or RebM)/RebA) is 0.35 or more in a mass ratio. 